Hi guys. Just a quick note, after Neil I plan to do Audrey's side too. So the chapters wont necessarily be in chronological order. I'll jump to some events only depending on the topic or the quote featured in the chapter

Five times Neil noticed her and she didnt

3

"...we've both been in relationships..."

It's been two years of knowing Audrey Lim but it seemed like Neil has a lot more to learn about her. Sometimes he discovers random stuffs about her accidentally, like how one time she saw her riding a motorcycle. It was her day off and she went to pick up some groceries to stock in her fridge when Neil happened to pass by the market on his way to the hospital.

The bus he was in stopped infront of the market and he saw her exiting with a bag of groceries. It was an ordinary scene to him until she went near one of the parked motorcycles and packed the stuff she bought. And then his jaw almost dropped when she rode on it and drove back home.

The next time he saw her after that he tried to annoy her with questions on why she didn't ride it to the hospital. Audrey just rolled her eyes and told him she did, he just didn't saw her do it.

Well that wasn't the most surprising thing he found out about her.

One day while they were waiting for their patient's CT scan results, the two had another discussion about their opinions regarding their patient.

The patient, a young married man in his early 30s was admitted in for suspected lung cancer. He actually had a weird request to the residents, about not to tell his wife the real results if it turned out positive. He wanted them to lie to her so that she wouldn't worry.

"Don't tell me you agree with him," Neil inquired. "You want to help him lie about something as serious as this?"

"Of course not! Don't worry I won't start another debate with you today," Audrey said. "I just thought his reasons was endearing."

Their patient didn't want to tell his wife if it's bad news. Even of it's cancer he still want to continue his plan of accompanying his wife in her tour. His wife is a musician and her work requires her going from place to place. It's a bit crazy decision to others but it is all he wants to do if he's going to die. Support his beloved wife in her dreams.

Neil looked at her like she had gone crazy. "Excuse me...is Dr. Lim finally going soft?"

Audrey glared at him. "Oh you won't understand with all your big ego."

"And you understand them?" he asked. "If I were him, I will tell her. She deserves to know. Even if it makes her temporarily pause her career."

Audrey didn't say anything but his words made her think of someone. Neil noticed her silence was unusual. Most of the time she got something to say in his opinions, whether to agree with it or mostly to disagree.

"You got someone who doesn't support your chosen career don't you?"

She kept her silence.

"It musn't be your parents, I saw your med school graduation photos and they looked so proud. A sibling? No it shouldn't bother them...maybe a boyfriend?" Neil looked at her. "You've got a secret boyfriend we don't know? "

Audrey rolled her eyes and finally answered him. "A husband,"

"A what??" he almost shouted.

"Uhh a male spouse?" she sarcastically replied.

"You are married?! Why didn't you tell me?" Neil was surprised, like really really suprised at her. He stared at her hand trying to find a wedding ring.

"Because you didn't ask. And you wouldn't find the ring there. I usually wear it as a pendant on my necklace or sometimes I don't really wear it at work."

"Does anybody here know about this? "

"Pretty much all our superiors are aware of course. And Dr. Flores found out sooner than you,"

Neil was about to say something but the results for their patient finally arrived. Audrey changed the topic and they decided to find their attending about how to deal with this patient.

Although the revelation that day was buried by a lot of dealing with their patients, Neil began to see her in a different light. Their disagreements lessened but it didn't mean for him to step back especially when he thought his ideas makes more sense. It's just he found her less annoying now...and he can't explain exactly why.

There were circumstances where Neil got a glimpse of Audrey's personal life.

One time he almost ran into her in the lockers room when he heard her talking to someone on the phone. He knew she was talking to her husband judging from the conversation and he knew that it was rude to eavesdrop so he immediately left her alone.

Another time was when he finally saw that 'husband' in person. After an exhausting 36-hour shift he was glad to finally get away from the hospital. He was at the hospital's lobby when he saw Audrey with another man, in which she seemed to be holding hands with. Of course he assumed that it was her unnamed husband. The tall man took her bag and led her out of the hospital.

The whole time Audrey didn't saw him and it was probably better because Neil didn't want to look like a stalker. He also didn't bother to mention about it to her. He would probably sound so awkward and he didn't have any plans to get to know her husband either.

Why would he? They're not even close. The way he could describe their relationship right now is as colleagues... Although everyone would say it's rivals, but at the very least they can settle as plain as 'friends'.